Quilt Question

[melissamary]

Hello!

So I'm thinking of sewing a quilt to sit upon at events.  Does anyone know if a certain kind of backing would stand up to grass/dirt/bugs better than others?  I want it to last as long as possible and not get completely dirty every time I use it.  Thanks!

Mel

[Robin C]

It is my understanding that a quilt lasts an average of 10-20 years depending on usage. There are exceptions both ways, of course.  I most recently cut a quilt up (that had holes in it) that my mother received for a wedding present in 1953.  It had been made from fabrics that had been in dresses etc previously.  I used the good sections of the quilt for the inside of pot holders.

[MargieB]

For a "fancy quilt" such as a Baltimore Album type quilt, I would not lay the quilt on the ground.  I suggest trying to find  a period ground cloth or floor cloth of some sort  to put on the ground and then lay the quilt on top of it.  Another possibility is to use a period wool blanket on the ground and then to lay the quilt on top.

If you are thinking of a simple, utilitarian type of quilt, they often had the backings made of larger pieces of leftover fabric sew together to make a backing.  You can use leftover pieces of calico in dark and muted colors so the dirt and grass stains won't show as much.  I would use a thin wool or cottong batting that can be washed or an old wool blanket as the batting.  If using a wool blanket, prewash and dry the blanket first if you intend to wash and dry the quilt in modern washing and drying machines.  It may shrink up quite a bit so you want to do the shrinking before you put it into the center of the quilt sandwich.  My paternal grandmother made us a picnic quilt that was pieced as a four patch and had an old wool blanket inside.  It was super tough and heavy enough to stay put, when spread out on the ground.

Good luck.  I hope you'll post a photo and share what you decide to do.  Quilts are a special interest of mine.

Best wishes.

Margie

[Marta Vincent]

I like the idea of a ground cloth.  Search for floor cloth and you'll find something you can make fairly easily to keep your pretty quilt clean and dry.  You can also use a floor cloth on the "floor" of your tent/home.

[Elaine Robeck]

With 4 kids and a grandma who is a quilter, we use quilts extensively is modern and civil war life.  All our quilts have cotton backs.  If the weather is basically dry we just plop quilts on the ground.  We haven't noticed any problems with staining, and these quilts are used for sleeping, eating, fort building, picnics, TV watching, etc.  In other words, they get daily use.  If we notice that they are dirty, we put them in the wash. 

I received a quilt for my high school graduation.  It went from daily use on my bed for about 5 years to occasional use for the last 12-ish.  It has faded but is just now beginning to show fraying and some ripping on the quilt top.  I gave it no special care.

This is just my opinion, but I'd make a 100% washable quilt with a mid colored back with a small print to hide the most stains.  Frankly, I'd consider a similar strategy for the top because you know someone will walk on it with mucky boots. 

[Trish B]

You could put a coating of spray starch on the back of the quilt- either iron it or let it air dry.  That is what I do to my cotton rag rugs as soon as they are finished and it helps keep them from staining (just like on petticoat hems).  trish B.

[Eileen Trestain]

If you are planning to take the quilt to events and use it up, I would suggest you plan on a quilt specific for that purpose, expecting it to get stains, etc.  I would not expect to take it home and use it on the bed.

I second (or third) the idea of putting a waterproofed canvas floor cloth under before the quilt goes on the ground.


Make sure the outside fabric is 100% cotton. Wool is also great, but isn't washable. 

Of more importance is probably what you put INSIDE the quilt as a batting.  I would select something that is going to hold up to the washing you are going to wan tot do.  Use a flannel sheet inside, or Warm and Natural that has a scrim, to keep the innards in place. A wool batting with a scrim will give warmth without excessive weight in case you ever need the quilt to wrap up in instead of sit upon. DO NOT use polyester  batting for a quilt you want to reenact with.  Polyester is a BAAAD thing around fires.  The poly will melt inside the quilt before the exterior cotton burns. 

Nine patch quilts are easy to make and are not complicated for a beginner, if you are one. They were very common in the civil war era.  SO are strip quilts and flying geese.  Machine quilting was possible in the Civil war era, usually in straight lines or diamonds. Hand tied quilts go together fast.  Log cabin quilts  on a foundation fabric and then set together are also common in the era and may or may not have a backing added. 

Eileen Trestain